cameo

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small but noticeable role or appearance by a well-known person in a film, play, or other work

   The director makes a brief cameo near the end of the film.

2. 2
   noun

   a piece of jewelry or carved stone bearing a raised relief design, often a profile portrait

   Her brooch held a white cameo carved with a woman's head.

3. 3
   verb

   to make a brief appearance in a film, performance, or other work

   Several former players cameo in the documentary.

Borrowed from Italian cammeo through Medieval Latin camaeus, of uncertain deeper origin. The original object was a small carving in raised relief, often a recognizable head in profile. Cameo role later compared a famous performer's brief, self-contained appearance to that compact and immediately recognizable portrait.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images